August 16, 2010: Xian - Adoption Registration and Notarization

This morning we headed with our group back to the Xian Civil Affairs Office for the Adoption Registration and Notarization.  This is the official process and documentation which finalizes the adoption of Kate into our family.  Our family was the first to be called to the desk where the Civil Affairs Official asked Sean and me lots of questions and our CCAI guide, Sissia, translated for us.  Caroline joined us for a bit as Gailie snapped some pictures of this importantl day.  We were asked questions about our finances, plans for medical care for Kate, plans for her education, and our reasons for adopting.  We made a formal and official promise to never abandon or abuse Kate and to love her as part of our family forever.   This is the point in the adoption where Sean and I formally state that we accept Kate and want to adopt her into our family.  Then we signed a lot of very official looking documents all written in Chinese.  After signing, we used a blue ink pad and stamped our thumb prints over each of our signatures.  Kate's right foot was also covered in blue ink and stamped on the documents as well. 

Next we moved to a separate desk where the City Notary awaited us. She asked us more questions…many of them the same.  We signed and stamped our thumbs a couple of more places and she notarized the adoption documents.  Now it is official!!  The adoption is considered finalized in both China and the US.  Kate is officially our daughter…a Powell!  She will legally become a US Citizen when she lands on US soil. 

You may begin to notice that in many of our pictures, Kate is holding onto a colorful little photo book.  It is the one that Caroline and I made for her and sent in our first care package at the beginning of May.  Caroline and I picked out photos of Sean and me, Caroline and Gailie to include in the book since we were the first family members that she would meet in China.  We were hoping that the Nannies would show her the book and tell her who we were so that she might be more familiar with our faces and maybe even recognize us a bit.  When she was placed in my arms on Gotcha Day, the family photo book was with her.  It looked well loved and that meant the world to me!  It looked like it had been chewed on and slept with and 2 of the photos were actually missing as Kate had pulled the plastic sleeve apart.  She loves this little book and she likes to carry it everywhere with her.  It is really so sweet!!  

We left the Xian Civil Affairs Office and loaded onto the bus to go get our family picture taken for the "Red Book".   The Red Book is literally a little red covered booklet that holds the Official Adoption Registration.  A photo of Sean, Kate and I will be attached to it.  The place where we went to get the photo taken was a tiny, hot, and very smoky hole in the wall place.  I had dressed Kate in a sweet little sleeveless smocked dress that was Caroline's.  Actually Caroline picked it out…it is green…Caroline's favorite color.  But when we sat down for the photo, a lot of conversation started…none of it I could understand!!  Then an older Chinese lady approached Kate with a baby sized blue jean vest with pink rhinestones on it and proceeded to put it on her!  As I was questioning the new apparel that was being put on my daughter…Sissia explained that the photographer said that what Kate was wearing was too light in color and that she would have to have her picture taken in this vest!  Although I didn't find the whole scene amusing at the time, it is quite funny looking back on it!!  So Kate is sporting a pretty hip denim and rhinestone vest in her first Official Family Photo for the Red Book and also on her Chinese  passport!  Too funny!

We headed back to the hotel and ordered room service for lunch.  Then Caroline and Gailie took a nap and Sean, Kate and I loaded back on the bus and traveled to the Xian Police Station to have Kate's photo taken there as well.  We ran into a family from Holland who had 2 little girls adopted from China. One was Caroline's age and also adopted several years ago from Jiangxi.  I recognized the younger daughter from some pictures from Yulin Children's Welfare Institute with Kate.  We spoke with the couple for a bit and took a picture of the 3 Mom's and their new daughters from Yulin. The other little girl is Grace and her new family, The McIntyres, are also in our CCAI Travel Group.  If you go back a couple of posts to the last pictures we received of Kate (I think it was August 14^th) you will see Grace and the other little girl in the photos with the Nannies.           

Sean, Kate and I returned to the hotel and changed into our swimsuits to go meet Gailie and Caroline at the indoor hotel pool.  The pool guy at the hotel was quick to inform us that we must wear a swim cap to get into the pool…and if we did not have one he would gladly sell us one right there!  We had a big laugh at each other as we looked like bathing beauties in our colorful new swim caps!  Even Sean had to wear one.  Kate is the only one that escaped "swim cap" free!  Of course she really has very little hair right now.  Kate loves the pool and Caroline had a great time showing her how to splash and stick her face in the water. 

We ended up ordering room service again…the hotel food is actually pretty good and we were a little burned out on Chinese food.  Mom and I have really been enjoying the pizza!  That sounds so strange considering we are in China!  Kate went to sleep easily and slept well all night except for briefly waking up once around 2:00 am.